Thursday, December 30, 2010

Atlanta: the food.

Over the past few days, Jake and I went down to Atlanta to visit our college friends Beth and Brad. They both just graduated from law school, have fabulous jobs, and live in a total hipster neighborhood in Atlanta. Safe to say, they are living the married dream. It was so fun to get to run around with them, even if only for a few days.

We ate at some great places while we were down there. 1) On the first night, we went to a little Southwest/Mexican place called Tijuana Garage. It was down the street in Inman Park/Little Five Points. B&B recommended the tacos, so I got a Carne Asada taco and a Philly Cheesesteak taco, plus rice and black beans. They were awesome tacos and there were so many options, I could easily have returned many times to pick new choices. The vibe was really relaxed but upscale and they had trivia going while we were there.

2) On the second day for lunch we went to the famous Varsity diner. When we got there, I saw the huge number of highschoolers piling off four buses in the parking lot and felt nervous about how long it would take. Little did I know that a) this place is HUGE and b) they are extremely efficient. We walked in, got in the express lane (by accident - and it was nerve wracking because you have to be on your game with money out and order on the tip of your tongue - sort of like fast food jump rope), got our food and sat down in less than five minutes. I got a cheese burger and fries, Jake got the #2, which was a chili cheese burger, fries, and a chili dog. I can see why they are famous - straight forward diner fare, lots of ambiance, and a fun experience. Excuse the iphone pics - I didn't want to be "THAT" girl with a camera in the restaurant.

3) The second night for dinner we went to Savage Pizza in Little Five Points. As you may remember, I consider myself to be a pizza connoisseur. This pizza did not disappoint. There was a comic theme - so cool, very down to earth crowd, and an array of pizza creations on the menu that sounded good. Ultimately we chose to build our own - pepperoni and jalapeno if you care. We chose the spicy red sauce - if you love spicy things, I would definitely get this sauce. Also, shared some breadsticks with B&B. I recommend those wholeheartedly. Loved this place.

4) The third day for lunch we went to a place called Front Page News, also in Inman Park/Little Five Points. It is a New Orleans style restaurant. At this point, we were so stuffed from days of eating that I probably didn't enjoy the meal as I should. We had fried pickles (always in good form), and then I had a patty melt. I can say that the red beans and rice were top notch - I got them as a side and was glad I did. I can see this being a great place to go out to eat because there were so many options on the menu, as to please a lot of people. It also had a really cool bar area that was heated and made indoor for the winter, which I thought would be a lot of fun for a night out.

So there you have my gastric tour of Atlanta. I believe in eating local and eating well when I travel - can you tell?